New Data from TheFork Reveals Nearly 1 in 4 Summer Diners are Tourists

TheFork, Europe’s leading restaurant booking platform, has unveiled fresh insights and practical tips at their Summer Tourism Event to help UK restaurants thrive this summer amid a surge in tourism. According to TheFork’s latest booking data, most European tourists visiting the UK come from Italy (18%), France (16%), Spain (8%), Germany (7%), and the Netherlands (6%)—and they spend 20% more on dining than local guests.

With European tourists expected to spend £33.7 billion in the UK in 2025 (VisitBritain), restaurants have a unique opportunity to capitalise on this growing footfall. During July and August 2024, 24% of bookings were made by tourists, while international tourists accounted for 23% of bookings in Michelin-starred restaurants.

“International dining is becoming more and more important to a restaurant’s bottom line, particularly in London. We are seeing more money than ever before coming from European diners, and restaurants have to find a way to maximise these busy summer months,” Hooykaas said.

“Nothing is more expensive than an empty table. With the right visibility and guest experience, restaurants can not only fill more seats but build long-term loyalty among both tourists and locals.”

TheFork recently unveiled a host of new tools for their restaurant management platform, TheFork Manager, including:

A no-show predictive tool, another industry-first, that identifies high-risk reservations and provides reminder actions and other options. This has helped create a 10% reduction in no-shows in initial launch territories
A market first upcoming service summary tool – giving a snapshot of critical information such as allergies and birthdays to help managers personalise their service
Real-time interactive floorplans, allowing restaurateurs to adapt layouts seamlessly and maximise their seating
Better integration with social – with embedded channels and seamless sharing tools